Home For the Holidays
by jakefanatic
Summary: Distant past. Coming home for Christmans, Jacob sees his daughter for the very first time.


It took two transports, a bus, his thumb, and his legs to get to where he was going. He was exhausted have traveled for nearly twenty hours if you count the hours he had to wait for his next ride. However, he couldn't sleep during those hours; there was no way to get comfortable enough to sleep anyway. Too many other fellow armed forces soldiers doing the same thing he was…going home for Christmas.

Walking down the street, he could finally see his home. Well, it had been home for only a few months before he was called to duty. He spotted the car was in the driveway and his spirits rose. This was not a planned visit and he feared no one would be home when he arrived. His injury, a bullet in the shoulder, put him out of commission so he seized the opportunity to come home and surprise his family.

He paused, setting down his small bag. His shoulder was killing him but he quickly popped a couple of aspirin in his mouth and chewed them down. Then he took the sling off. No child of his was ever going to see him come home from a mission injured, not ever. With the sling dropped in a neighbor's trashcan, he pressed on.

At the door, he did a quick inspection of his uniform. After a deep breath, he knocked on the door. From there he could hear her voice telling his son to behave. A smile split his face and he was excited. He couldn't wait to see the look on his wife's face when she saw him.

During the entire trip home, he imagined his wife's shocked expression. Tears would form in her lovely deep blue eyes. He would smile warmly and wipe her tears from her soft cheeks. His hand would then caress her long wavy blond hair, slowly moving to the back of her neck. And then he would kiss her, tenderly, lovingly, deeply, taking in her sweet fragrance. God he missed her.

The door opened…he was more than ready.

"Jacob!" Allison exclaimed, exactly as he had imagined.

"Surp…" he started to say.

Only before he knew it, her lips had quickly attached themselves to his as her arms were squeezing the life out of him. It wasn't what he planned but he quickly adapted wrapping his arms around her slender frame, despite the pain in his shoulder. His hands caressed her back as their kiss deepened. He could taste the chocolate she had been eating and he craved more of her. Only she suddenly pulled away leaving both of them gasping for air.

"I'm sorry," she sighed resting her forehead against his.

"Don't be," he smiled brushing her cheek with his finger tips.

"Daddy!" the four years old boy screamed running towards Jacob.

Allison quickly stepped aside just as Mark launched himself into his daddy's outstretched arms. Jacob's pain was completely forgotten as he held onto his boy tight.

"I missed you Mark," he said kissing his son on the cheek. Reaching for Allison's hand he smiled, "I missed you too."

"I missed you," she wept.

'Now, she cries,' Jacob thought to himself.

"Shh, don't cry honey," he cooed, gently wiping her tears. "I home. At least for two weeks. Let's just enjoy our time together as a family."

Allison nodded.

"So…what does a guy have to do to get something to eat? I'm starving!"

Allison laughed shaking her head. After she shut the door, she led Jacob into the living room. Jacob's nose was filled with the scent of the Christmas tree, not yet fully decorated. He smiled. He was hoping he didn't miss out on decorating the tree. It was something he loved to do with his son.

"Jacob, did you get my last letter?"

"No, honey. The mail is kind of slowl. And my unit has been on the move quite a bit lately."

"Oh," she sighed.

"I take it…everything was ok with the delivery?" he asked hesitantly, as he looked at her flat belly.

She had been four months pregnant when he left. And he hadn't seen her in six months.

"Sit, down," she smiled brightly. "There's someone you need to meet. Mark, be have and don't tell your father anything."

"Yes mommy," Mark smiled.

Jacob set Mark down on the couch then sat beside his son. The boy looked so much like his mother. He had her eyes and the same shade of blond hair. Jacob smiled patting the boy on the head.

"Have you been a good boy for your mother?"

"Yes, sir!" the boy saluted making Jacob chuckle.

Then the boy suddenly covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. Jacob turned to see Allison coming with the new addition to the Carter family. She was grinning ear to ear as she gently placed the newborn baby in his arms.

"What's his name?" he asked looking down at those big blue eyes that looked like Allison's.

Allison chuckled.

"Jacob…sorry you didn't get your Christmas wish," she smiled, sitting beside him with Mark in her lap. "Her name is Samantha."

"A girl?"

"There are only two choices Jacob, boy or girl."

A girl? He had no idea how to raise a girl. Or a boy, he was still learning with Mark. But none of that mattered. Samantha was a part of her mother, that's what was important. And before her mother began to wonder what was taking him so long to respond, he quickly kissed her, telling her he loved her and that she did a wonderful job with the baby.

Later, sometime after midnight, Jacob lay wide awake in the darkness. Normally, after making love to his wife he would be the one sleeping soundly, only not tonight. He slowly slid out from under his wife's arm, being so careful not to wake her. He quickly put on his sweat pants then treaded quietly out of the bedroom down the hall into the kids bedroom.

Mark was dangerously close to falling off the bed. So Jacob gently moved his son to safety and readjusted the covers.

"I love you Mark," he whispered, caressing the boy's soft hair.

A noise captured Jacob's attention and he moved to its source. The small night light gave Jacob enough light to see that Samantha was wide awake. He reached down holding her tiny hand in his fingers. It always amazed him at how small they started off, thinking back to when Mark was this small.

"What a grip!" he whispered when her tiny hand grabbed his finger.

Jacob carefully picked up his daughter. Her head was small enough it fit snuggly in one hand while his other hand held her body.

"At least you're not crying this time," he smiled. "I couldn't get a good look at you earlier!"

Her lips suddenly puckered up, tears formed in her big blue eyes. Her face turned red and she started whimpering.

"Crap! Shh, Sam, you'll wake your mommy! You don't want your daddy to get in trouble do you?" he asked shaking her gently.

After a few moment of rocking her, she finally grew calmer.

"Must be a smart girl, if you've already figured out I have no idea what the hell I'm doing," he whispered. "Mark used to always cried when I held him too. So, let me apologize now for all the mistakes I know I'm going to make. I promise I'll try my best. But know this Sam…I will always love you, no matter what happens in our lives."

"Jacob?"

"I was just checking on Sam," he replied softly.

"Sam? Still wish she was a boy?"

"No," he said turning to face Allison. "I wouldn't trade her for anything. She's beautiful, just like her mother."

Allison regarded him for a long moment.

"I'm glad to be home for the Holiday," he smiled. "Just being with my family this year is the best present I could ever have."

"For me too," she sighed holding him tight.


End file.
